Playing racket



H W, HALL PLAYING RACKET Nov. 23, 1937.

Filed April 8, 1936 lff'owi ic g Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT orris 2 Claims.

"This invention relates to playing rackets for tennis and similar games.

In hard play certain parts of a racket are subjected to Severe strains and these parts must be properly reinforced without materially adding to the weight of the racket. Properly constructing and placing these reinforcements is of the utmost importance for the above reasons and because the weight of the racket must be kept'down and any feeling of clubiness in the racket avoided.

One object of my invention is to provide reinforcements in a racket which greatly strengthen it at vulnerable points, which are light in weight, and which add beauty to the racket, the latter making it possible to create a greater variety of models.

Another object is to so unite said reinforcements to the racket that they are practically immune from splitting. A further object is to provide such reinforcements that the labor required in finishing the surface of the racket is reduced, and at the same time the appearance of the finish greatly enhanced.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing and specification. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to said disclosure; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a completed tennis racket embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a tennis racket frame in an intermediate stage of production showing the reinforcing laminations on the said frame before they have been sanded down.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a tennis racket after the reinforcing laminations extending from the shoulders to the handle have been sanded down.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

I have illustrated a racket having a bow head 8, and in Figure 3 of the drawing a throat is shown consisting of two side pieces 9 and a narrow center piece or strip [0 which extends down into and forms part of the handle I I. My invention is applicable to rackets having a solid or one piece throat as well. Said handle II has the usual outsidecovers-IZ. The shoulders of said bow head 8 are reinforced by shoulder laminations l4. Crescent shaped laminations 15 are glued together and fit within the bow head 8 and are glued to it and the top of said throat pieces 5 9 and Hi. These are shown in the broken away portion of Figure 3 of the drawing.

The glue joints resulting from the use of said crescent-shaped laminations l5 require reinforcemerit because during the stringing of the longitudinal portion of the racket bow head the frame tends to spread laterally and said joints will often be broken unless they are reinforced properly. This is especially true at the joint between the said throat pieces and the lowest crescentshaped lamination l5 because it is wood end gluing at that point. The common way to reinforce these is with laminations running across the upper portion of the throat and part way up the bow head in which the grain runs parallel with said crescent-shaped laminations [5, which does not always provide as much reinforcement as needed and is otherwise unsatisfactory. To reinforce these joints I provide a wooden reinforcing lamination I8, the grain of which runs crosswise as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing. By running the grain across the throat and handle the joints between said center strip l0 and the throat side pieces 9 are cross banded and also the joints at the crescent-shaped laminations l5 are reinforced. Said lamination l8 continues beyond the throat and forms part of the handle ll passing under said cover l2. On top of this Wooden reinforcing lamination I8 I glue another wooden reinforcing lamination IS with the grain running longitudinally, that is, in the direction of the handle, which continues below the throat and forms part of said handle ll, passing under said cover 12. This lamination l9 cross band's said lamination l8 and greatly reinforces the whole racket at the most vital points. By using these laminations l8 and I9 double they prevent splitting of the outside lamination J9, whereas if only one such lamination is used splitting is possible under certain circumstances, and while the split would not be deeper than the thickness of the lamination it is likely to arouse fears that the split extends farther.

These laminations l8 and 19 are sanded down so that portions of them are within the outside edges of the racket as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing, being of less width than the adjoining portions of the throat and handle. One of the great objections to reinforcing rackets with wooden laminations has beenthe extra weight they added to the racket. This I have overcome by sanding them down where reinforcement is the least needed. By using double laminations I 8 and I9 I am also able to use a thinner lamination than has been used before, thereby getting the benefits of cross banding and yet keeping the weight of the racket down.

The lamination I8 is preferably made of wood; but fabric or fiber could be used, and for the lamination l9. Also the grain of said laminations I8 and I9 could be reversed, the grain of the lamination I9 extending crosswise and the grain of the underneath lamination l8 extending r.

longitudinally.

By using a double lamination I can also improve the appearance of the racket, using a different colored wood for the underneath lamination IS in contrast to the wood of the top lamination I9, in which event the underneath lamination is wider, thereby showing the color of the wood, as illustrated in the drawing.

What I claim is:

1. A racket comprising a bow head, throat and handle, a portion of said racket below said bow head curving inwardly at its outer sides, and two reinforcing laminations on said racket, one above the other, extending from the lower portion of said bow head downwardly on said throat to said handle, a portion of each said reinforcing lamination curving inwardly at its outer sides to a greater extent than the said inward curving of the adjacent portion of said racket and then curving outwardly, the upper said lamination being narrower in width for a portion of its length than the lower said lamination and so positioned that a portion of each side of said lower lamination is visible below said upperv lamination, the grain of said lower lamination extending substantially laterally across said throat and handle and the grain of said upper lamination extending substantially longitudinally.

2. A racket comprising a bow head, throat and handle, a portion of said racket below said bow head curving inwardly at its outer sides, and two reinforcing laminations on said racket, one above the other, extending from the lower portion of said bow head downwardly on said throat to said handle, a portion of each said reinforcing lamination curving inwardly at its outer sides to a greater extent than the said inward curving of the adjacent portion of said racket whereby said adjacent portion of said racket on each side of said reinforcing lamination remains visible, the upper said lamination being narrower in width for a portion of its length than the lower said lamination and so positioned that a portion of each side of said lower lamination is visible below said upper lamination.

HORACE W. HALL. 

